


Freezing

by FandomLife54



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: BAMF Stiles, Hurt Derek, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 12:37:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3729199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLife54/pseuds/FandomLife54
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the cold winter air, the pack split up in search of the kanima. Stiles and Derek are checking the woods when Derek picks up a scent near the shore of a frozen lake. A battle between the alpha and Jackson unfolds but what will Stiles do when Derek is paralyzed, leaving him to fight off the kanima alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Freezing

It was winter time so the air was thin and snow blanketed the county.The kanima was on the loose and the pack needed to stop their lethal classmate before he unconsciously murdered half the town. They split into groups, spreading out to dark alleyways, abandoned warehouses, and vast woods all around Beacon Hills in search of Jackson. 

Stiles cruised his jeep steadily through the forest with Derek in the passenger seat, window down and head leaning out in hope of picking up a scent. Normally, Stiles would have complained about the cold breeze blowing in and the fact that he couldn't feel his fingers or his face, but he was enjoying the view way too much. Stiles may have a huge crush on the alpha but he couldn't help wanting to tease the werewolf. Still, he was visibly restraining himself from making a joke about dog's sticking their head out the windows.

"Shut up." Derek growled.

"What?" Stiles smiled.

"It is annoyingly obvious what you're thinking. Stop it now."

"Oh, what, now you're a werewolf and a mindreader? And come on, dude, I'm wearing two jackets, a sweater, and a beanie yet I'm still freezing my ass off while you're a walking heater. Can you try and hurry with the scent tracking?" Stiles pleaded. 

Derek glanced over with a mellow glare before returning to his position. 

"Alright, alright. So let's say you do pick up a scent. What then? Gonna jump in all fangs and claws? We need a plan of attack." Stiles insisted. 

"There is no 'we.'" Derek huffed. "Once I pick up the scent, I'm taking the kanima down. That's all there is to it." 

"Okay, no. Jackson might be a narcissistic asshole who turns into a giant lizard but he doesn't know that he's killing people. We can't just execute him. And what do you mean there is no 'we'?"

"I mean you stay in the jeep while I fight. I don't need your help. Besides, you're human, Stiles, and I won't stand for you getting hurt. The kanima is stronger than you think." Derek asserted while he kept his face turned out towards the darkness, avoiding Stiles' irked expression. 

"Which is exactly why I should be helping you, you stubborn jerk. We both know I've been of help to the pack, human or not. I have my bat in the back seat, Derek, I can-" Stiles tried. 

"No." 

The silence dragged a moment longer than Stiles could bare. Knee jumping and finger tapping irritably at the wheel, Stiles turned to protest but was cut off by Derek's sudden shift.

"Stop the jeep." They halted at the shore of the lake, frozen over in a layer of ice. Derek stepped out of the jeep. "Stay here." He ordered while stalking forward, nose pointed up as he searched for his target. A shadow sped across the tree line and Derek growled, teeth sharp and claws out, ready for battle. 

The kanima leapt out of the blackness, tackling the alpha down only to be thrown back with brute strength. "Shit." Stiles muttered, fumbling with his phone to alert the pack for backup. As the SOS sent, a harsh grunt pulled Stiles to see Derek crash against a trunk and Jackson crawl into the brush of the trees. This wasn't over.

The leaves just above a disoriented Derek rustled, a tail slipping down to strike. "Derek!" Stiles cried. The alpha looked to the teen with dazed eyes before they went wide with realization. A small slit to the back of the neck was all it took for the wolf to drop dead-still to the ground, paralyzed. Jackson landed on top of Derek, face-to-face and ready to strike a fatal blow. 

His wooden bat exploded with the sheer force Stiles put behind his swing, successfully knocking the kanima off of Derek and pissing it off even more. The monster shot it's head towards the boy, viciously hissing as Stiles stood over Derek protectively. He gripped what little remained of a handle that once had the rest of a bat attached to it. Stiles cursed the throbbing in his hands and concentrated on a plan to keep Jackson away from Derek. His bat was a goner, he couldn't fight bare handed, and he had no clue when the werewolf was gonna get feeling back in his body. Dozens of scenarios were flashing in his mind but, really, Stiles only thought of one thing: keep Derek alive. Jackson started to charge.

Stiles immediately sprinted away from Derek, thankful the kanima was lured to him, but began internally panicking A LOT because a murderous lizard was chasing him straight onto the frozen lake. Stiles quickly adjusted to the slippery terrain. He looked back, just in time to see razor sharp claws fly past his face and lodge themselves into the ice. Deep cracks tore through the ice as Jackson yanked his nails free and Stiles got an idea. He scanned the shore for Derek before recognizing the dark lump staring back at him. Even from the distance Stiles could see the unfamiliar expression of fear, guilt, and worry plastered on the alpha's face. He was sure he was going to get one hell of a lecture from the werewolves for the stunt he was about to pull but protecting Derek was all the motivation he needed. He mouthed a quick "sorry" to the alpha before shuffling back into plan. 

Stiles leaped, rolled, and dodged the oncoming attacks, luring the kanima farther into the lake. Every few seconds, he quickly glimpsed the progress as Jackson tore through the vast sheet of ice. Stiles could hear Derek screaming for him somewhere far away but he couldn't risk losing focus by thinking about it. Ice whined and crackled beneath his feet and he knew this would be the final lunge. With the rest of what energy he could muster, Stiles averted Jackson's leap for his throat and watched as the kanima smashed through the weakened floor, shattering the solid structure into large platforms that Stiles struggled to stay balanced on. The teen bolted onto his belly and clung to the ice like a raft. 

Once the water settled, he peeked an eye open and caught Derek with an incredulous look on his face. Stiles shot the wolf a smile and thought he was about to get one in return when, without warning, the kanima broke through from under Stiles and threw him high into the air. He crashed onto the ice and into the lake, consumed by the dark, freezing water before Derek can blink.

"STILES!" he roared across the clearing, thoughts fast, heart racing, blood boiling. Jackson escaped, running into the forest, but Derek's eyes were locked on the spot he last saw Stiles. Stiles, the human. The pack member who would make him smile, talk back on orders, challenge him, make witty and outrageous remarks, push him to his limit, and never give up on anyone no matter how broken they seem. Stiles, the werewolves' tie to humanity and Derek's personal anchor. The ADHD ridden teenager he had secretly been pining over. The person who was going to die from either drowning or hypothermia if he didn't move now.

Derek wasn't entirely sure what happened, he could only slightly feel the intense burning rushing through his veins as he recollected everything in his memory that was Stiles. Next thing he knew, he was is cradling the unconscious teen closely in his arms. He rushed the boy out, dripping and weighed down with soaking water, from floating in the numbing darkness to lying limply on the shore. Everything about the situation was making Derek ache, but the ringing of his phone, knocked aside in battle, had him scrambling at the chance of a solution. It was Scott.

"Derek, we caught Jacks-"

"Scott! How do I perform CPR? Hurry!" Derek shouted, frantically. Scott instructed him through the motions, distraught questions slipping in between steps. Derek ignored all of them, stomach flipping at the feeling of Stiles' ribs cracking under the pressure necessary for the procedure. Every pump pushed the alpha closer to the brink of hysteria as the back of his head screamed that this was all his fault. His heart ached and he was close to wolfing out into a rage. A few pumps from a total meltdown, Derek felt Stiles' heart jump and watched his eyes clench shut painfully as water spilled out of his mouth. Derek didn't waste another moment before scooping the boy up carefully and speeding back to the loft.

Stiles woke up a couple hours later keeping his eyes screwed shut, ribs sore and lungs burning. He was warm, though. So unbelievably warm. He loved it. He lifted his eyelids leisurely, slowly realizing the warmth he was curling up against was solid and soft. And had abs. Stiles flailed backwards, nearly toppling head-first off the bed before a set of strong arms hoisted him back up. Stiles was laid back down with a glaring alpha now towering over him. 

"Be careful! Do you really need a concussion, too?" Derek barked and thus began the lecture Stiles prophesied. Stiles tried listening, he really did, but he was more devoted hiding his burning blush from being so close to Derek. He needed to take what the werewolf was saying seriously yet he couldn't stop smiling. He was wrapped up in Derek's bed, wearing Derek's sweats and shirt, with Derek just above him showing actual concern for him. Stiles could believe he had died and went to heaven. 

"- and you can't afford to lose any more toes." 

Stiles' head snapped up at the words then he was once again flailing, struggling as he sprawled out the blankets to hold his feet close to his face and counting every toe for attendance. Ten. Ten toes. He let out a huge sigh of relief and flopped back onto the bed, only slightly wincing in pain. Derek burst out laughing and Stiles had to do a double take just to make sure it was actually Derek producing the sound. His heart skipped at the noise. He took a moment just to marvel at the werewolf's bouncing form, hunched over and hand hovering over his mouth. 

"Not cool, Sourwolf." Stiles puffs out a chuckle. 

"That was payback for pulling such a stupid stunt and scaring me half to death." Derek grinned. Stiles sat up and grabbed Derek by the collar, pulling him in for a chaste kiss on the lips before replying.

"And that's payback for not listening to me in the first place. Now we're even." The confidence in his voice didn't carry nearly as long as he spoke. Stiles was flushed pink and his heartbeat sharply rose with each passing moment. Derek's own blush was burning his cheeks and when Stiles' expression began morphing to one of regret, Derek quickly stole a kiss of his own, letting this one linger. 

"I'm taking you to Deaton's in the morning to make sure you're completely ok."  
Derek said as he motioned Stiles to lay down, curling around him to provide warmth and protection. Stiles wiggled closer to the wolf, nuzzled into the nook of his neck, and sighed contently. 

"Then to a sports shop. You, sir, owe me a new bat." Stiles poked fingers his into the larger man's chest.

Derek just chuckled a laugh and spoke softly. "Deal."


End file.
